


The Goblin Princess

by Gammarad



Category: The Goblin Emperor - Katherine Addison
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Canon compliant fantasy world racism, F/M, Future Fic, Gen, Politics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 03:11:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17133932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gammarad/pseuds/Gammarad
Summary: On Idra's return to Cetho, he has a pivotal role to play in Edrehasivar's attempt to defuse a slowly developing political situation.





	The Goblin Princess

**Author's Note:**

  * For [coslyons](https://archiveofourown.org/users/coslyons/gifts).



Csevet watched Maia read the letter, his ears carefully not twitching. “Serenity, you need not agree,” he said, his tone implying quite the opposite. “Your cousin does not believe you will. He wishes to make the offer to cement peace and show his good intentions. But it does cement peace if you should choose to take it up, not only with the new Great Avar of Barizhan, but with your own people. It blocks the potential moves of a certain faction we discussed —”

“The one who so inadvisedly approached our consistent political opponent who is also our friend?” Maia, in the exclusive company of his own household, was almost careless with his expressions, allowing his ears to tilt in amusement at the poor choice the despised faction had made to approach Pashavar with their side of things, as they would put it. “Who told him that because our son was almost nine years of age, their window to purge the goblin blood from the imperial line was closing?” It had been shocking to hear such words, even now expressed. 

“Serenity, you should tell Idra. If he knows, they cannot make use of him.” 

“We do not wish our nephew to be burdened with this. He would want to remove them, as we do, but cannot.”

“They have done nothing that would warrant it,” Csevet said, “and while you might do anything you wish, it would create new problems we do not know in the place of the one we have safely identified. The one which is made of cautious men who do not wish disruption to their lives and who are unwilling to risk the Empire to see things go their way.” Unlike their compatriots in thought who attempted to dethrone Maia in his first year of office, Csevet did not add.

“More than one benefit, then. They will hate it, and we and our people will benefit from peace. And all that must be done is give them Idra.” Maia was unhappy, though his tone did not betray it, nor his ears. Csevet and the rest of his household knew him well enough to tell anyway.

“He is far older than you were, Serenity, when you were married. Far older than your mother was.” 

“And younger than our sister was. It is not his age.” Maia knew well that every age was a bad age to be pushed into a political marriage, even his, though his had worked out well. Mostly due to Csevet, as a matter of fact. Perhaps this one would too, since Csevet was in favor. But the rumors were that Idra was in a love affair with one, or in the more salacious rumors several, of Vedero’s circle of friends. Maia did not ask. He had had Kiru explain the necessary precautions to Idra to prevent illegitimate Drazhar infants, and left Idra privacy for the rest of such matters.

The possibility made it seem unpleasant to thrust this new edict on his nephew, but it did seem like the best thing for everyone else. Maia said as much to Csevet, who responded, “It is much the better for Idra, too, Serenity, for he does not want to be Emperor, certainly not on behalf of those who would elevate him solely for the ‘purity’ of his bloodline.” 

***

Idra arrived home from his diplomatic mission to the Nazhmorhathveras to find everything in chaos. An unexpected to him, barely expected to anyone delegation of the goblins had arrived. Their new Great Avar, who unlike his predecessor did not mind airship travel, had come with his wife and daughter to pay a state visit, apparently. 

The goblins were everywhere and of surpassingly varied appearance. The new Great Avar had been avar of a northern region of Barizhan, where intermarriage with elves had been common for generations. Some were almost elven in looks except for their eye or hair or skin color; others had goblin features with elven blue or gray eyes and pale gray skin or hair. The sheer variety stood out by contrast. 

He wanted to take it all in, since he had been gone so long — nearly a year this time, and that visit short, so really almost a year and a half since he had spent any reasonable amount of time at home or with his family. Idra had to go see his sisters and the Emperor, his uncle Maia.

***

“In our youth, before you were born, we fought in the army of Barizhan, in your grandfather’s army, against your father’s. We have seen war between our people and yours, and peace. We prefer peace.” The new Avar of Avarsin folded his hands and regarded Edrehasivar.

“You are our grandfather’s heir?” asked the Emperor of the Elflands.

The answer was not yes, but it was also not no. “We are your grandfather’s successor.”

***

Talking to Mireän, Idra could not believe how much Mireän had grown up in the time he had been gone. She was not any taller than a year ago, but she looked more like an adult to him. 

Idra embraced his sister. He was so happy to see her, he could not think of words to express it. “I missed thee,” he said finally. It was not enough, but it was everything.

“Not as much as I missed you, or Ino either,” Mireän said happily. “But you are home now! How long will you stay this time?”

“I am not sure,” Idra admitted. “There must be a lot for me to do, to take care of. At least half a year, I think.” 

“Then you will have time to make new friends,” Mireän told him.

“So I will.” Idra thought about this. She’d meant something by it. He had left friends behind, and one who was perhaps more than a friend. And he had been back for an entire day already. He looked away from Mireän and asked, “Hast seen Danu lately?”

Mireän made a face and jutted out her chin. “I do not even want to tell you but — months ago, Danu got married and moved to Zhaö, to be closer to the Clocksmiths Guild.” 

“Married? But —” Idra remembered a conversation he’d had with Danu when their friendship had begun to deepen into something confusing, something not quite romance, but no longer only collegiality. He felt his ears dip in dismay.

_”Thou know’st that someday I will have to get married, for politics.” Idra had horrified himself by saying this aloud; he had not liked to think about it._

_“I know who thou art,” Danu had countered. “Because thou art who thou art, that is inevitable. For my own part, marriage is not for me. So thy marriage will not be a reason thou must concern thyself about me.”_

“An artificer from the south; they met, it seemed like a whirlwind courtship, and now they are married and off together building clockwork and probably having babies.” Mireän’s forehead creased and her ears tilted toward him. “Are you all right? I know you had feelings for Danu…” 

Idra shrugged and made his ears stand up at least neutrally. “I’ve been gone a long time. Things happen. Danu and I had made no promises…” This was not entirely true, but it was true enough. 

***

In the Althcemeret, Maia received him. 

“Cousin Maia,” Idra said, and nodded to the nohecharei. 

Cousin Maia looked uncomfortable. 

Idra’s shoulders stiffened. He wondered what he had done, or what bad news Maia had to give him. He thought it had to be one or the other.

“Cousin Idra, it is good to see you safely returned.” Maia shifted, and Idra saw the nohecharei look at one another. Kiru had a reassuring smile. Telimezh was trying not to have any expression at all, and Idra did him the favor of not trying to read what showed through the attempt.

“My thanks. It was not too difficult a journey.” The posting itself was entirely another story, but he had sent letters reporting all that. Unless Maia asked, he did not want to go over it in their personal time.

“You have seen that there is a delegation from the goblins. My grandfather’s passing resulted, as we knew it would, in a fight for his place. The resulting winner has come to pay us a visit, to renew our alliance, and — “ Maia paused.

Idra saw Kiru throw his uncle an encouraging look. 

The smile Maia managed in return to Kiru, and turned back to Idra unchanged, was a very good smile. Warm and fatherly, it almost reminded Idra of his own father’s look when Idra had done something he was proud of. Maia continued, “— he has brought his wife and his daughter along with him. And a proposal — as my grandfather’s peace with Cetho was sealed with my parents’ marriage, he has offered to marry his daughter to you.” Maia stopped.

Probably to let him absorb this news, Idra thought. His mind whirled with reactions. “That makes a great deal of sense,” he said, both true and a cover for his inability to sense the direction of his own feelings in the turmoil.

Maia’s ears flipped back for a moment and his smile slipped, but the lapse was brief. It was kind of him, Idra thought, to share that much reaction; he did not think Maia any longer incapable of hiding it. Perhaps he was wrong; he knew his admiration for his uncle might lead to overestimating him, but in his four years of diplomatic work he’d become more confident in his judgments, and found it unlikely.

“I will treat her better than Grandfather treated your mother,” Idra said. That could not be the worry Maia was expressing, could it? But it felt good to say out loud.

“I know you will,” Maia assured him. Now Idra could see warm approval, and he felt the tightness in his shoulders loosen a little. Maia beckoned Idra closer, and Idra shifted his chair and sat next to him, putting his hand out which Maia took. Shifting to a more intimate tone, Maia said, “I wish thee to know more of why this marriage is required of thee. It is not the only way to keep our goblin allies; that weight does not rest on thy shoulders. But thou shouldst know what transpires in the dark corners. 

“Thy mother,” and Maia paused again. 

Idra looked up into his eyes. “I remember what she did.”

“Neither of us can forget. She acted precipitously, in thy youth. There are those who agreed with her, but knew more of history, and feared the trouble that comes with a regency. Thou art no longer a child, Cousin Idra, but a man grown. And my son is younger than thou wert when I became Edrehasivar, but he will not stay so forever. They see their time passing.”

Idra was alarmed. “There are another group of conspirators? Cousin Maia, they must know I have no desire at all to be emperor.” But that might not keep conspirators from their effort, even cautious and patient ones.

“As my heir, should I die before my son is of age, thou wouldst have little choice. No more than I did.” Maia’s ears and mouth projected calm, but his eyes were close to Idra’s, and Idra could see the lines of tension around them.

Very softly, Idra said, “Thou had a choice. And I thank thee for it.”

“I could not have done that to thee. And I think thou wouldst not do it to my child.” 

This was all very well, but Idra was not sure exactly how they had gone from discussing the arrangement of his marriage to rumors of another coup attempt. Maia was trying to lead him to make a connection that he did not see. “If it will help this not to happen, I will gladly marry the new Great Avar’s daughter. It is by far the preferable future.” Idra hoped his tone made it clear enough he might be unsure why those were the options, but that he was sure of his choice.

***

The dinner party at which Idra met his future betrothed was in the goblin tradition. Guests circulated freely, eating tiny snacks and delicacies that were being refreshed as fast as they went by the goblin ambassador’s household. 

Idra was pleased to see that Captain Vizhenka and his wife Nadeian had returned with the new Great Avar. Vizhenka and his delegation of Hezhethora had been gone when Idra was last home, which had been just after the news had reached Cetho of the death of Maru Sevraseched, who had been very old but who Idra had somehow not expected to die like ordinary people.

Ambassador Gormened’s wife Nadaro had been chosen to introduce Idra to his potential bride and her mother. “This is the Avar’s wife, Matheian Amulened, and their daughter Hadelo.” Nadaro emphasized the first names of the two women. Idra was surprised again to see that Matheian was, as far as he could tell, entirely of elven blood, and Osmerrem Gormened had pronounced her name in the elven fashion, accented on the second syllable, though her daughter’s was said goblin style, with the emphasis at the beginning.

Hadelo was striking in appearance, her hair entirely black and shining in its length, done in an ornate style that was unfamiliar to Idra, perhaps a new fashion, he thought, or one popular in Barizhan. Her gold eyes shone with intelligence. “We are told you have recently returned from the Evressai Steppes,” she said. Her voice was sweet and assertive. “It is a place we have never seen, but have great curiosity about.” 

Idra was not sure if she said this only to draw him out, but if that was her purpose, he thought she was likely to succeed. “We would be pleased to tell you anything you like about our work with the Nazhmorhathveras.”

“We will leave you to become better acquainted,” the Great Avar’s wife said. Nadaro tactfully took her to another conversation group. 

“Before we become lost in my anecdotes about the Steppes,” Idra said, “we fear you have us at a disadvantage, as we have no news of you as recent as yours of us.”

“This is but my first journey outside my home, but I have hopes for many more,” Hadelo said, meeting his gaze bracingly. It was not only the bright gold color, but something about the intensity of the look in her eyes that convinced him that she meant every word; she wanted to see the world.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to the moderators of the Goblin Emperor discord for alpha reading, and for the suggestion to add more to this story. There wasn't time for me to write more for the treat, but I may write a sequel to this story at some point in the future.


End file.
